The Palace of Minos at Knossos

by Chris Scarre, Rebecca Stefoff

Overview

On March 23, 1900, Arthur John Evans and his staff began to excavate on Crete, looking for the fabled site of Knossos, where an extraordinary civilization, a precursor to classical Greece, was rumored to have existed. Almost from the first shovel stroke, artifacts began to emerge. Evans realized that here was "an extraordinary phenomenon, nothing Greek, nothing Roman. A wholly unexplored world." The Palace of Minos at Knossos recounts the exciting story of uncovering a remarkable society lost to the world for 3,500 years, from its initial discovery through its excavation to the structure we see today. Sidebars on archaeological techniques, illustrations of the sites, tables, and diagrams throughout provide a wealth of information on the Palace. The use of artifacts and other "documents" recovered from the Palace bring out the voices of the people of the past, offering clues to who they were and how they lived. The Palace of Minos at Knossos concludes with an interview with archaeologist Chris Scarre who talks about the misperceptions about Knossos and what we really know about its culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190207755
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	12/04/2003
Series:	Digging for the Past
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	13 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Chris Scarre is Professor in the Department of Archaeology, University of Durham. He has wide-ranging research interests in the prehistory of western Europe, with a particular interest in the archaeology of the Atlantic façade (Portugal, France, Britain & Ireland), most recently inthe study of patterns of burial evidence in Britain and the Levant from the Neolithic to the Roman period. he is editor of the interrnationally renowned journal Antiquity

Editorial Reviews

Gr 4 Up-This book offers an introductory yet thorough look at the Minoan ruins of Knossos on Crete, where legend has it that King Minos kept the mythological Minotaur, half man and half bull. The first chapter describes the site as it existed before the excavations by the British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans, which began in 1900. The following two chapters tell of his fantastic finds and the palace's extensive ruins, which he began to uncover after working only a week at the site. Evans's attempts to try to understand and interpret the Minoan culture are discussed, as well as his partial reconstruction of some of the important rooms and staircases. The concluding chapter discusses the latest interpretations and findings at Knossos. Many excellent photos and diagrams, mainly in color; time lines on the site's archaeological history and on the Minoan civilization's place in ancient history; and explanations of archaeological stratigraphy and of the mysterious Linear B writing are included. The book is concise, clear, entertaining, and factual. It is useful for reports and a good read on an interesting subject.-Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Chronicling the excavations of Arthur Evans at what he dubbed (sans evidence) the royal palace of King Minos, Scarre and Stefoff attribute the site's enduring fascination for archaeologists and tourists both as much to his marketing abilities as to the dazzling finds made there. While detailing his sometimes questionable techniques-which included imaginative reconstructions of structures and artifacts-the authors also clearly explain the importance of his achievements, and what the site has taught us about Minoan civilization. The background history of that civilization here is so skimpy that the devastating volcanic explosion of Thera isn't even mentioned, but Stefoff interviews a modern archaeologist to bring readers up to date, and the survey closes with brief descriptions of other Minoan sites. Illustrated with scenes of Evans at work, detailed diagrams, views of ancient artifacts and more, this helps to put a human face on our study of the past, while highlighting one of the past century's most important, and tantalizing, archaeological finds. (index, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10-13)

Kirkus Reviews

"Illustrated with scenes of Evans at work, detailed diagrams, views of ancient artifacts and more, this helps to put a human face on our study of the past, while highlighting one of the past century's most important, and tantalizing, archaeological finds." — Kirkus Reviews

"The book is concise, clear, entertaining, and factual. It is useful for reports and a good read on an interesting subject." — School Library Journal

"There's lots to marvel at in this tour of the ancient palace at Knossos, Crete. The authors illustrate their story with colorful photographs of enormous pithoi, frescoes with bull-leapers and scenes from Arthur Evan's excavation site. A sidebar about architect Michael Ventris's decipherment of Linear B, the musterious language discovered at Knossos, will intrigue junior code-breakers." —Odyssey

From the Publisher